capital expenditure

American  

noun

Accounting, Finance.

1. an addition to the value of fixed assets, as by the purchase of a new building.

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capital expenditure British  

noun

1. expenditure on acquisitions of or improvements to fixed assets

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capital expenditure Cultural  

1. The purchase of an asset by a firm.

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Etymology

Origin of capital expenditure

First recorded in 1895–1900

Example Sentences

Tech earnings, dominated by chip makers and hyperscalers, probably are safe for the remainder of the year since a lot of AI capital expenditure is locked in.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 14, 2026

Amazon has projected capital expenditure of around $200 billion this year, largely on AI data centers.

From Barron's • Apr. 9, 2026

In the original resolution, the shareholders called on BP to take a tighter approach to capital expenditure and to offer disclosure that showed how investment decisions promoted disciplined allocation of capital.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 9, 2026

Amazon CEO Andy Jassy dismisses AI bubble fears, projecting around $200 billion in capital expenditure this year for AI data centers.

From Barron's • Apr. 9, 2026

For 1906 the average capital expenditure per kilowatt installed was about �81.

From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 9, Slice 2 "Ehud" to "Electroscope" by Various